Interfering constituents and variables can introduce significant source of errors that prevent measured biologic parameters from being of clinical value. In order to bypass said interfering constituents and achieve undisturbed signals, invasive and semi-invasive techniques have been used. Such techniques have many drawbacks including difficulties in providing continuous monitoring for long periods of time. Non-invasive techniques also failed to deliver the clinical usefulness needed. The placement of a sensor on the skin characterized by the presence of interfering constituents do not allow obtaining clinically useful nor accurate signals due to the presence of said interfering constituents and background noise which greatly exceeds the signal related to the physiologic parameter being measured.
The most precise, accurate, and clinically useful way of evaluating thermal status of the body in humans and animals is by measuring brain temperature. Brain temperature measurement is the key and universal indicator of both disease and health equally, and is the only vital sign that cannot be artificially changed by emotional states. The other vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate) all can be influenced and artificially changed by emotional states or voluntary effort.
Body temperature is determined by the temperature of blood, which emits heat as far-infrared radiation. Adipose tissue (fat tissue) absorbs far-infrared and the body is virtually completely protected with a layer of adipose tissue adherent to the skin. Thus measurement of temperature using the skin did not achieve precision nor accuracy because previous techniques used sensors placed on skin characterized by the presence of adipose tissue.
Because it appeared to be impossible with current technology to non-invasively measure brain temperature, attempts were made to determine internal body temperature, also referred to as core temperature. An invasive, artificial, inconvenient, and costly process is currently used to measure internal (core) temperature consisting of inserting a catheter with a temperature sensor in the urinary canal, rectum or esophagus. But such methodology is not suitable for routine measurement, it is painful, and has potential fatal complications.
Semi-invasive techniques have also being tried. Abreu disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,460 apparatus and methods for measuring core temperature continuously using a contact lens in the eyelid pocket, but the contact lens is a semi-invasive device which requires prescription by a physician and sometimes it is not easy to place the contact lens in the eye of an infant or even in adults and many people are afraid of touching their eyes.
There are several drawbacks and limitations in the prior art for continuous and/or core measurement of temperature.
Measurement of temperature today is non-continuous, non-core and nurse dependent. Nurses have to stick a thermometer in the patient's mouth, rectum or ear. To get core temperature nurses invasively place a tube inside the body which can cause infection and costly complications.
Measurement of core temperature on a routine basis in the hospital and/or continuously is very difficult and risky because it requires an invasive procedure with insertion of tubes inside the body or by ingesting a thermometer pill. The thermometer pill can cause diarrhea, measure temperature of the fluid/food ingested and not body temperature, and have fatal complications if the pill obstructs the pancreas or liver ducts. Placement of sensors on the skin do not provide clinically useful measurements because of the presence of many interfering constituents including fat tissue.
It is not possible to acquire precise and clinically useful measurements of not only brain temperature, but also metabolic parameters, physical parameters, chemical parameters, and the like by simply placing a sensor on the skin. One key element is the presence of fat tissue. Fat varies from person to person, fat varies with aging, fat content varies from time to time in the same person, fat attenuates a signal coming from a blood vessel, fat absorbs heat, fat prevents delivery of undisturbed far-infrared radiation, fat increases the distance traveled by the element being measured inside the body and an external sensor placed on the surface of the skin.
There is a need to identify a method and apparatus that can non-invasively, conveniently and continuously monitor brain temperature in a painless, simple, external and safe manner with sensors placed on the skin.
There is further a need to identify a method and apparatus that can conveniently, non-invasively, safely and precisely monitor biological parameters including metabolic parameters, physical parameters, chemical parameters, and the like.
There is a need to identify an apparatus and method capable of measuring biological parameters by positioning a sensor on a physiologic tunnel for the acquisition of undisturbed and continuous biological signals.